One type of flip-top reclosable container is a two-piece structure having an outer carton and a separately formed internal collar or liner. The outer carton generally includes opposing top and bottom walls, opposing front and back walls, and opposing first and second side walls. The first and second side walls and the front wall include a continuous horizontal tear strip for opening up the carton from a sealed form to form a lid hingedly connected to a base. The separately formed collar is located within the outer carton. The collar includes a front panel and opposing first and second side panels which are adhered to the respective front wall and opposing first and second side walls of the outer carton. To open the carton, the tear strip is removed and the lid is lifted upward relative to the base. To reclose the carton, the lid is pushed back downward to its original position, where the lid is retained either by frictional engagement with the base or by some type of snap closure feature.
Although two-piece containers of the foregoing type can provide excellent functionality if properly manufactured, such two-piece containers generally require more paperboard than one-piece containers. The use of additional paperboard in the two-piece containers increases the cost of manufacturing such containers.
Furthermore, the two-piece containers generally require a high degree of precision during the manufacturing process. To manufacture the two-piece container, the outer carton is formed from a carton blank and the internal collar is formed from a separate collar blank. To form the reclosable container from the carton and collar blanks, the collar blank is glued to the inner surface of the carton blank with the fold lines of the collar blank preferably aligned with corresponding fold lines of the carton blank. The joined carton and collar blanks are then folded in tandem with each other to create the reclosable container. In the above manufacturing process, the joined carton and collar blanks must be properly aligned to assure that the fold lines joining the walls of the outer carton will not crack in response to folding the joined carton and collar blanks in tandem with each other. Moreover, if the container is provided with a snap closure feature for retaining the lid in the closed position, proper alignment of the outer carton and the internal collar assures that the closure feature will function properly.
Because of these deficiencies, one-piece containers with integral internal collars have been created. One known one-piece container connects the internal collar with the carton of the container by non-adjacent flaps each having an extension flap. The known one-piece containers are useful in applications where the entire top of the box is to be opened, such as boxes for storing granular detergent. However, the known one-piece containers are not made to have a top that only partially opens to form a spout with the side walls, as would be desirable in cereal boxes.
Accordingly, a need exists for a flip-top reclosable container that overcomes the above-noted shortcomings generally associated with existing containers. Moreover, a need exists for producing a one-piece container with an integral partial collar which is connected to as few as one of the top flaps so as to provide a carton top that only partially opens. The present invention effectively and conveniently realizes such a reclosable container.